"I always thought he wouldn't be one of those people who wouldn't come home," said Rachael Ellis, 20, on Monday. "In my eyes, he was Superman."

Ellis enlisted in the Marines at age 17 after graduating from Ashland High School, devoting himself to advancement in the military. He was set to return to the United States this month and planned to retire in May and move to North Carolina, said his daughter, a nursing student who lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

He also is survived by his wife, Deborah, and her three children, of Camp Pendleton; his former wife of 17 years, Traci, of Perrysville; his parents and five siblings. Ellis will be buried Feb. 21 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. No services in Ohio are planned.

Ellis served with the Marines in Ohio, Hawaii, California and North Carolina. He was deployed to Saudia Arabia in 1990 in the first Gulf War.

The military told Traci and Rachael Ellis that he was doing a routine checkpoint search when he approached a suspicious man who detonated a suicide bomb, killing him and injuring another Marine. A message seeking comment was sent to Camp Pendleton.

"He just wanted to make a difference," Rachael Ellis said. "Anytime he was asked to go somewhere, even times when he didn't have to, he would. He wanted to be there for his troops."

Ellis, 40, was the sergeant major for Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, which is operating in Iraq as the ground combat force for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), Pentagon officials announced Friday.

Ellis, of Ashland, Ohio, graduated from boot camp in 1984 and trained as a radio operator. He served with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and deployed in 1990 to Saudi Arabia with 1st Force Reconnaissance Company for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, according to his biography posted on the 15th MEU's Web site. Over his 22-year career, he did several tours at the School of Infantry, was the battalion radio chief for 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in Hawaii and worked as a canvassing recruiter in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ellis joined 2/4 in late 2003 and deployed to Iraq as the Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant. He became the battalion sergeant major Dec. 17, 2004.

Among his personal awards and decorations are the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat "V" and two gold stars and two awards of the Combat Action Ribbon.

A U.S. Marine from Ashland was killed Wednesday in Iraq in a helicopter crash, according to a story on ArmyTimes.com.

Sergeant Major Joseph J. Ellis was the top enlisted man with a Camp Pendleton, California-based infantry battalion.

Ellis, 40, was the sergeant major for Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, which is operating in Iraq as the ground combat force for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

Ellis joined 2/4 in late 2003 and deployed to Iraq as the Headquarters and Service Company first sergeant. He became the battalion sergeant major on Dec. 17, 2004.

Among his personal awards and decorations are the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat "V" and two gold stars and two awards of the Combat Action Ribbon.

The 22-year Marine veteran also served in the Persian Gulf during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, according to a U.S. Marine Corps Web site.

As a sergeant major, Ellis had reached the highest enlisted rank in the Marine Corps.

According to a U.S. Marine Corps Web site, Ellis attended Recruit Training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C., where he graduated meritoriously as private first class.

After graduation from MCRD in October 1984, he attended the Field Radio Operators Course at Field Skills Training School, Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he was promoted to lance corporal upon graduation. After basic skills training, he received orders to remain on staff at the training school as an instructor.

While teaching, Ellis attended several schools and training programs, including the Wire Communications Course, Morse Code Operators Course, NCO Academy, Instructor Orientation Course and Curriculum Developers Course. During his assignment he was meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal Dec. 2, 1985. He served as an instructor until June 1987.

In June 1987, Ellis reported for duty with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Okinawa, Japan. While there, he served as a team communicator, company communications NCO and radio supervisor in the battalion communications platoon.

In June of 1988, Ellis received orders back to Camp Pendleton for duty with the School of Infantry, where he served as radio supervisor in the communications platoon.

While there, he also served as communications instructor for the Infantry Training Battalion and the recently developed Marine Combat Training Battalion. It was here that he was promoted to sergeant in October 1988.

In January 1990, Ellis transferred to 1st Force Reconnaissance Company at Camp Pendleton. His first assignment was as platoon communications and special equipment NCO for the 6th platoon.